// Sets cookie values. Notice the use of escape to encode special characters (semicolons, commas, spaces) in the //value string. This function assumes that cookie names do not have any special characters. Expiration date is optional:

function setCookie(name, value, expires) {
   document.cookie = name + "=" + escape(value) + "; path=/" +
   ((expires == null) ? "" : "; expires=" + expires.toGMTString());
}

//The following function returns a cookie value, given the name of the cookie:
function getCookie(Name) {
   var search = Name + "="
   if (document.cookie.length > 0) { // if there are any cookies
      offset = document.cookie.indexOf(search) 
      if (offset != -1) { // if cookie exists 
         offset += search.length 
         // set index of beginning of value
         end = document.cookie.indexOf(";", offset) 
         // set index of end of cookie value
         if (end == -1) 
            end = document.cookie.length
         return unescape(document.cookie.substring(offset, end))
      } 
   }
}

//The following function fixes cookie names in HTTP headers set by a CGI server and then corrupted by IE which introduces an extra space. The fixed cookie has a session expiry time:
function HAfixCookie(Name) {
IEname = (Name + " ");
x = getCookie(IEname);
if (HAcheckvar(x)) {
delCookie(IEname);
setCookie(Name,x,null);
}
}

// Use this function to delete a cookie.
function delCookie(name) {
   document.cookie = name + "=; expires=Thu, 01-Jan-70 00:00:01 GMT" +  "; path=/";
}

//Use this function to trim leading and trailing spaces from a variable
function HAtrim(x){
	if(HAcheckvar(x)){
		//trim leading spaces
		while (x.charAt(0)==" ") {x=x.substr(1)}
		//trim trailing spaces
		while (x.charAt(x.length-1)==" ") {x=x.substr(0,x.length-1)}
	return x
	}
	else {return ""}
}

//Use this function to check for a number or string variable
function HAcheckvar(x){
if(typeof(x) == "string" || typeof(x) == "number"){
	return true
	}
else {return false}
}